Newsletter- January 2020

Two great news for our Technoparc Montreal resident company, Soundbite Medical Solutions.
Following the announcement of a distribution agreement of the SoundBite Crossing System in Japan with Asahi Intecc, SoundBite Medical Solutions announces SoundBite Crossing System’s approval by Health Canada. This approval will allow the company to commercialize the technology in its home country, Canada. In addition, it will facilitate their ability to obtain approval in other countries. Congratulations to SoundBite Medical Solutions, we are proud to have you as a resident at our Alfred-Nobel Innovation Center at the Technoparc de Montréal. For more information, please click on this link.

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will connect the Technoparc de Montréal to Montreal’s international airport will be called Alice, in honor of Alice Evelyn Wilson (1881–1964). Canadian geologist and paleontologist Alice Wilson conducted fundamental studies for the analysis of rocks and fossils in the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Ottawa Valley. Her work led to the development of several reference maps in these regions. This made her name a natural choice for a TBM, whose primary mission is to dig through rock! The photo below shows the scope and precision of the work. You can follow the evolution of the REM at the Technoparc de Montréal via this link.

In January at the Technoparc de Montréal we had the honor of welcoming the new Consul General of the French Republic, Madame Sophie Lagoutte. We introduced her to all of Technoparc’s activities as well as the advanced industries that evolve here. We also had the opportunity to visit Montreal’s Life Sciences and Health Technologies (LSHT) HUB, the adMare BioInnovations NEOMED Innovation Center as well as the French aerospace company Thales. Great synergies have been created and Madame Lagoutte plans to include the Technoparc during visits by French delegations specializing in LSHT, aeropace, information technology, various technologies and clean technologies. We were very pleased to introduce her to the Technoparc de Montréal and we look forward to welcoming her again!
Your delegation wants to meet us to discuss collaboration and investment projects? Please contact us by email at info@technoparc.com right away!

Work on the expansion of the CIN is progressing rapidly, with delivery expected in July 2020. The expansion is a 3-storey building, connected to the current NEOMED building by a protected walkway. It consists of a first floor offering offices and biology laboratories, a second floor with private and team offices, meeting rooms, co-working spaces promoting collaboration, a cafe-bistro and the NEOMED Lounge which will become a meeting point for LSHT companies in Montreal and beyond. The third floor will be composed of closed offices and chemistry laboratories. You are an LSHT company looking for dynamic and flexible workspaces? The NIC is for you! For more information or to settle there, contact
Pierre-Yves Desbiens at pydesbiens@neomed.ca or visit the CIN website.

Technoparc Montreal is proud to have welcomed the new Consul General of Belgium, Mr. Hendrik Van de Velde. A rewarding meeting during which we presented our site and its companies as well as our objectives of collaboration with Belgium for the coming years. We also visited the NEOMED Innovation Center, the Montreal Life Sciences and Health Technologies HUB (LSHT), located in the heart of the Technoparc. Newly arrived in Montreal, Mr. Van de Velde was very impressed by the dynamism of our organization and agreed to lead the Belgian companies and delegations visiting Montreal to the Technoparc to establish business links. We wish him well in his duties and are happy with our first contact!

VIP invitation to Vantage Data Centers, resident company of the Technoparc de Montréal, January 30, 2020. The Saint-Laurent – Mont-Royal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCSL-MR) invites you to a private event on the premises of Vantage Data Centers. Entrance is free for CCSL-MR members and $30 for non-members. There will be a site visit followed by a happy hour. A great opportunity to network with companies in the sector and learn more about the data center. Those interested can click this link to register.

Participate for free in the Webinar “How to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) in my SME” on January 30, 2020, offered by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and the Association for the Development of Research and Innovation of Quebec (ADRIQ).
The Webinar (in French) will take place over lunch time, so it will be even easier to participate! Interested parties must first register via this link.

In 2019, the Technoparc de Montréal had 1,477 specialized jobs in LSHT, representing 20.1% of the 7,350 jobs on the site. In terms of the proportions of firms by sector, the percentage was 30%, for a total of 42 companies in LSHT. It is therefore a high presence of SMEs, mainly located on Frederick-Banting Street and its surroundings. Thanks to the presence of the NEOMED Innovation Center (NIC), the innovative hub of LSHT in Montreal, many SMEs can grow within the Technoparc to eventually move to larger spaces on Frederick-Banting Street or elsewhere on the site.
The Technoparc de Montréal site is therefore conducive to the deployment of the LSHT industry in the Montréal economy. You are a company evolving in LSHT? Looking for spaces with laboratories? Do not hesitate to contact us: info@technoparc.com

Technoparc Montréal is proud to have hosted a delegation from the Rhône-Alpes region on our site. We had the pleasure of touring the park aboard a shuttle bus that stopped at several strategic locations including the future REM station, the Éco-campus Hubert Reeves, the Place Innovation and Frederick-Banting street, the HUB of Life Sciences and Health Technologies of Montreal in which the NEOMED Innovation Center is located. Participants were able to discover the advantages of the Technoparc de Montréal and plan future collaborations between their region and our organization. A big thank you to MTL INTL for this cooperation in this event!

Technoparc Montréal is proud to have participated last December in the launch of the 2020 Alpha contest at the town hall of the Saint-Laurent borough with the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie Saint-Laurent – Mont-Royal (CCSL-MR). Have you stood out in your field of business? Enter the Alpha contest which has recognized the excellence and dynamism of businesses in our territory for over 35 years. Your business or branch does not have to be a member of the CCSL-MR. Companies wishing to register for the competition must do so before February 28, 2020, by clicking on this link.

With several projects underway as well as the work of the Réseau express métropolitain – REM that will connect the Montréal International Airport to the Technoparc in less than 2 minutes, the site is becoming more and more an address of choice. Whether in aerospace, life sciences, information technology and various technologies, there is still land ready to be developed for your company. The map below shows the available lands. Of various sizes, these are ideal for a development made according to your requirements.
Contact us now for a private meeting where we can discuss your projects.

Need more staff but want to stay cost-effective? Do both by hiring a uOttawa CO-OP student. Get the support needed, stay cost-effective and shape the future generations. You might even be eligible for a grant up to $7,000. Interested? Contact coopdev@uottawa.ca or visit their Website for more information.

Repare Therapeutics is growing, and they are always looking for highly innovative and collaborative individuals who are passionate about discovering revolutionary cancer treatments. If you are interested in joining the Repare Therapeutics team, please apply to one of their open positions! Simply click this link to see the available positions.

Would you like to make your team meeting or presentation in a modern setting, surrounded by the abundant nature of the Technoparc? We have 4 beautiful rooms available for all kinds of meetings. The two large rooms can accommodate up to 25 people while the two smaller rooms can accommodate up to 8 people. The rooms are equipped with high-performance audiovisual equipment, projection, speakers, audio-conference system and more. Food services available ($) for either coffee breaks, refreshments or full meals. Rates are $ 30 an hour for small rooms and $ 60 an hour for large rooms. Contact us to reserve your space!

The Novotel hotel, located at the entrance of the Technoparc, is proud to offer you a preferential rate, as an exclusive benefit available for resident companies of the Technoparc de Montréal. To benefit from these great rates, please click on this link.
The “Customer code” is SC201061335 and the “Access Code” is TE843CA684. Also note that the Technoparc Novotel hotel’s code is 6011. Identification will be required upon check-in. Do not forget to share with your visitors too. Enjoy your “Techno” stay at the Novotel!

Did you know that the Technoparc of Montréal covers an area of 20.2 million square feet and that more than 5.65 million square feet are green spaces, representing a proportion of around 28%. Also, 3.4 million square feet of the area are considered parks and protected zones (16.8% of the total area). Large green spaces available to site residents for long walks, jogging or biking. Take the time to explore these spaces to recharge your batteries and do not forget to take a walk on our dike path located in the eco-campus Hubert Reeves with its marsh that is rich in flora and fauna. Click here to discover this unique zone.

Did you know that there are two innovation centers in the heart of the Technoparc? They are open to all sizes of businesses, from start-ups to SMEs, who wish to establish themselves in the largest science and high technology park in Canada. These two centers of innovation already have more than forty companies, which encourages easy exchanges, which ultimately can become commercial collaborations. There are still some spaces available in our two centers, contact us at info@technoparc.com. More info on our 2 innovation centers are available through our Website.

Garderie Innovation is a private daycare offering quality bilingual educational services to young children. Daycare experiences influence the children’s ability to adapt and integrate into society. Their dedicated teachers support your child in every sphere of their physical, cognitive, motor, language and social-emotional development. There are some spots available for Technoparc residents! Please contact the garderie directly through their Website.

For those who do not know it, the Bistro of the NEOMED Institute is open to all during lunch hours, from noon to 1 pm. Located on the ground floor of the NEOMED Innovation Center (7171 rue Frederick-Banting), the Bistro welcomes you with different dishes every day of the week. Take advantage of their weekly menus, served by the Bistro’s chef, the friendly Sasha, waiting for you every day with his big smile and impeccable service. Enjoy your meals!

Cyclenium Pharma is an emerging pharmaceutical research and development company pursuing development of selected product opportunities in areas of unsatisfied medical need, while simultaneously creating a second-generation macrocyclic drug discovery technology. They are building value through progression of their internal programs and establishing collaborations with innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking to drug difficult disease targets. Get more information through their Website.

ERA waste management expert John Bradburn’s digs provides today’s article, asking what it means to be green. His expertise is recognized at the international level and as the former Global Waste Reduction Manger for General Motors, he was dubbed GM’s MacGyver for finding unconventional uses for everyday waste.
When we look deeper into the meaning of green, we must understand that it extends beyond recycling and environmental protection. Green means to continually improve upon the manner that resources are utilized, that results in reduced impacts to human health and the environment, without sacrificing the world’s current and future needs.
Green has no political boundaries, although government has a role. Foundational environmental laws, based on sound science, are important to create performance baselines, but legislation must keep pace with new technologies and not restrict innovation that is holistically better for our world; welcoming innovative solutions to our challenges using green chemistry and design for the environment disciplines. Doing so will reduce overbearing and restrictive legislation.
Corporations must lead the way with sustainability initiatives, demonstrating to others that it makes good business sense to create products and run their facilities in the most sustainable way. New technology plays a significant role in green and must be deployed using sound environmental principles. Collaboration among multi-sector stakeholders is a key element in understanding how to make good companies great. Additionally, encouraging employees to applying sustainable lessons learned from the job to their homes, families and neighbors will help scale sustainability impacts.
Questions about this tip? For more information, please send an email to ERA at info@era-ehs.com or see their Website.

As start the New Year, it might be the time to refocus on what brings value to you and your business. Stop majoring in minor things. Our time is consumed by many minor things: people issues, ego fights, silo battles, and some unproductive meetings? It feels like fighting a lost battle because these symptoms are the results of the structures and systems put in place by design.
We sometimes get stuck in these designs without taking a step back: like a bonus systems built on wrong KPIs; wildly wrongly defined or now irrelevant and contributing to the wrong behaviors that don’t push the organization forward.
Or how about an organization structures that limits the ability to make changes across multiple departments, stifling standardization and creating a lack of alignment on processes.
Or an operating system that lacks accountability and ownership with the right level of empowerment that ends up demotivating employees and slowing down the decision making. If you truly want to change things, you need to start from the very basics that have built the culture you now need to change. People in your organization will then find clarity, accountability, cooperation, empowerment and engagement. Don’t expect steady performance when your basics are a mess by design. If you need help to think through these issues, reach out to us and we will be happy to engage with you.
The CERASP is a CCTT (College Center for Technical Transfer), dedicated to helping pharmaceutical start-ups and SMEs, through assisting in applied research, equipment grants and training, business development services and training and developing staff. Christina Aon is the Technical Lead. She can be reached at christina.aon@cerasp.ca . You can also consult their Website for more information.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of those subjects that is spoken about quite frequently online. Most people are clueless about it and aren’t sure how to approach it!
The first thing you should know about SEO is that it’s a long game. Anybody who promises you quick results is not giving you the full truth. A fast way to rank first in Google quickly is by paying for ads! Here are some steps you can take to help improve your SEO to rank in the top 10 for your Google listing:
-Optimize your titles and headings! Make sure your pages are targeting the proper keywords. Your title tag has the most weight in search engine optimization, so make sure your keyword is there. Always add the proper keywords to your Headings as well. The H1 is the most important heading so it should be the first thing on a page. An easy way to do this is by adding keeping your H1 the same as your heading.
-Optimize for speed! Did you know that Google uses page speed as a mobile search ranking factor? Loading time is a huge factor in mobile devices, particularly since most of the connections on mobile tend to be slower than those of PCs. A great tool to check out your loading speed is “Google PageSpeed” which is a tool to benchmark your Website performance.
-Work on the links! Both internal and external are major factors to having a Website that ranks well. We have found that creating blogs of 1860 words and up is the perfect amount of text that prompts Google to rank your Website higher. With this blog, you want to include internal links – links that are linking back to your Website – and external links, which are links that are linking to a trustworthy Website.
To learn more about the best practices discussed here, get in contact with Expandify Marketing which offers you a free strategic planning session! You can contact their team: by phone (514) 973-2083 or email contact@expandify.ca. You can also visit their Website.